Childhood | class 11th | Important Question for English Hornbill

Childhood Important Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Hornbill

Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
What question does the poet ask again and again in this poem?
Answer:
In this poem the poet is really confused. He asks the question again and again ‘when did my childhood go?’

Question 2.
The poet has discussed two stages of life – childhood and adulthood. How do we differentiate one from another?
Answer:
Childhood has been considered by the poet as a blissful period in one’s life, where a child trusts everyone.
Adulthood is marked by rational and creative thoughts, ability to perceive and differentiate and learn new things. In this stage of life one also learns to be double faced and crafty.

Question 3.
What did the poet realise when he crossed the age of eleven years?
Answer:
When the poet crossed the age of eleven years, he realised that he had lost his childhood and had developed a mind of his own. He also found out the non-existence of Hell and Heaven.

Question 4.
How did the poet conclude that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places?
Answer:
The poet concluded that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places because Geography books contain names of places, but there is no mention of places like Hell or Heaven in these books.

Question 5.
How did adults seem to the poet when he was a child?
Answer:
As a child, the poet considered all the adults as an epitome of love and sincerity. He believed that their love was true and they were ready to do anything for , their loved ones.

Question 6.
Bring out the hypocrisy that the adults exhibit with regard to love.
Answer:
As the poet grew up, he could make out the double standards followed by adults. He realised that though adults preached of love and talked of love, their behaviour was totally different and full of manipulation. They were all hypocrites who behaved differently from the way they talked.

Question 7.
What did the poet notice about independent thinking? How important was this discovery?
Answer:
The poet discovered that he was different from others and could think independently. He could have his own opinions without getting influenced by anyone else. This discovery was very important to him as it revealed to him his abilities for independent thinking and decision taking.

Question 8.
What is the poet trying to convey when he says that childhood is hidden in an infant’s face?
Answer:
The poet says an infant is really innocent as he trusts everyone and does not try to fool others. The poet brings out this fact by contrasting it with the behaviour of adults, who become manipulative and are hypocrites. As a person develops rational thoughts, his childlike innocence fades away.

Question 9.
According to Markus Natten, when does the child become an adult?
Answer:
Becoming an adult is a complex process which is associated with physical, mental and social development. A child becomes an adult when he is able to live his own life and take care of his responsibilities individually. He also develops his own thought process, using which he can form his own beliefs and opinions.

Question 10.
What is the poet’s feeling towards his childhood?
Answer:
The poet regards childhood as a period of innocence. A child sincerely feels that he is free from all evils and that there is really a Hell and a Heaven. A child knows no hypocrisy. There is no difference between his thoughts and actions. In short, childhood is a state of innocence and purity of heart.

Question 11.
How does the poem expose man and present him in true colours?
Answer:
According to the poet, childhood symbolises innocence, purity, softness and love. As a child grows up, these qualities start receding. Man adheres to lying, shrewdness, cunningness and hypocrisy.

Adults preach about truth and honesty but themselves practise hatred and lying. The simplicity and honesty of childhood evaporates the moment man crosses the threshold of innocent childhood.

Childhood Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Write an article in about 150 words about childhood and the process of growing up.
Answer:

Childhood
by Manav Singh

When I was a child the world seemed to be a place of joy and happiness to me. There was nothing worth worrying about. Whenever I cried, somebody consoled me. When I did not like to sit alone, I was always in somebody’s arms. My mother always looked after me. These are my most cherished memories and I believe that looking at a child playing and enjoying childhood makes me somewhat nostalgic.

Childhood is free from cares. There are no duties or responsibilities on the shoulders of a child. A child only eats, drinks, sleeps and plays. Thus, a child lives in the bliss of ignorance and innocence. As we grow in age, worries about studies, choice of profession, shouldering responsibilities etc keep haunting us. Tensions, stress and worries become a part of adult life and the individual forgets to live a carefree life.

Question 2.
Is independent thinking a step towards adulthood? If yes, then how? Explain with reference to the poem ‘Childhood’.
or
Markus Natten, though showing disapproval regarding the behaviour of adults, also raises a very important point, that of independent thinking and individuality. Do you agree that independent thinking and individuality make us what we are? Elaborate in the context of the poem ‘Childhood’.
Answer:
Of course, independent thinking is a step towards adulthood. As a child, one is not able to make one’s own decisions and one’s thinking is always influenced and directed by adults. A child is so innocent that it is not able to distinguish between truth and imagination.

As a child’s thinking is influenced by others, it has no individuality. Moreover, it is prone to manipulations which lead to fickle-mindedness. Independent thinking makes us what we are. It shapes our personality and we are known among people through what our mind thinks and what decisions we take.

If we want to stay away from evil people who try to influence our thoughts for their selfish purposes, then only independent thinking can help us. We cannot claim to be an individual if we cannot take decisions ourselves.